St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-08
ALIEN NJ kENZIE'

rp,cE ern country of its
Wildness and the from
| frontier has been pushed to the very
base of the Rocky mountains. With
| this gradual driving forward of the from
| tier, the abandon that marked the lives
of early settlers iii the eastern limits of
Dakota has fallen into natural decay
anNa tide of social refinement set in
that has carried away all but faint
vestige of the old customs.
Ten years ago there WIS cOterie of
| poker players i'll that country who won
| and lost fortunes on cards, and they did
it as cheerfuliy as they now risk their
money in real estate and other specula-
| tons that carry with them an air of
| legitimacy.
Maj. A. w. Edwards was probably the
''stitfest'' card-player in the Red river
| valley few years ago, and there were
| but few Of the best who had the courage
| to meet him on neutral ground. lie
never won the reputation OF playing
| anything but an honest game. He did
not depend OH tricks and clever manip-
ulation of the cards for success. but car
ried into the game with him an amount
of nerve and sand" that usually scared
| his opponent into defeat: In 1880 he
was on his way to Washington, ID. c..
with but a few hundred dollars in his
pocket. In st. Paul he was introduced
to a couple of gentlemen from Louis
vile, KY, who, before the day was
| spent, invited the major to take hand
at poker. The game began i'll a small
room OH the third floor of the Merchants
hotel early i'll the evening, and the.
CHIPS SHIFTED
from hand to hand without material
gain to either player until daybreak,
when the majO pulled his heavy SLOUGH
hat over his eyes and tucking one foot
under him-hiS favorite position when
playing-Started out to play his game
For a time he surprised the Southern
gentleman at his utter abandon. but he
never showed his hand when he could
avoid it. AT last he stood "pat." His
opponents drew cards. one man held
thee kings. another three queens, and
another four ten spots. The major made
a bid for more money. He was promptly
raised by the others. The major met
the raise and went it $500 bet
ter, but his opponents were not tired
$50 in his pocket, but calling bell boy
he sent note down to Col. Allen. pro-
prietor of the Merchants hotel, asking
for a loan of $1,000. The colonel knew
his man and up went check the de-
sired amount, and the major cOolly
dropped the check on the pile o. chips
and money in the center Of the table.
and leaning back in his chair took a
cigar from his pocket and lit it. This
was too much for the others and
they threw up their hands. The major
drew in the money, cashed the chips
and found that he had won S4,7G0 OH the
hand: His opponents looked at their
watches, yawned, and pushing back
their chairs said they We're tired and
wouldn't play any more. Before they
left the room they picked up the majors
hand and found that he had TODD pat
and won the pot on pair of fourS.
The four spot the major always con-
sidered his lucky card and never failed
to play it hard whether he held one or
four of them, and he says it never vet
lost for him.
Col. Morrow, citizen of Fargo, who
emigrated to that country early in the
seventies from Virginia soil, was about
the only player who wouldn't take a
bluff from the major. In 70 the major
''Billy" MOrriSOn'S Star Chamber. which
was the headquarters of the leading
poker players in that country. Tne
game had been hard one, slightly
in favor of the colonel. FINALLY
he opened good sized jack pot on a
pair of kings; the major stayed and
drew two cards, which gave him nothing
but ''bOb-tail'' flush. The colonel took
three cards but didn't better his hand.
and he bet $500 that his kings were
good. The major pulled a check book
out of. his pocket, made out a check for
$1,000, and dropped it on the center of
the table without a sign of excitement:
the colonel called the bet, the major
threw down his brOSen-back flush. the
colonel dropped his kings and raked i'm
the money. The game stopped there.
but these two men were always fast
friends. They seemed to be a mutual
admiration society, but when they faced
each other across stack of chiDS they
fought as warmly and determinedlv as
though they were lifetime enemies.
Alexander Mckenzie, sheriff of Bur-
leigh county for many years, was a
strong player, and ranking with him
were John Haggart, for fifteen years
sheriff of CaSs county, and JudSOn or
JUDI LaMoure, as he is better known.
resident of Pembina, where he owns a
great deal of property, and is sort of
whipper-in for the Republican party i'm
that portion of the territory. These
men were known throughout the terri
tory as
THE BIG FOUR,
and they met as often as once month.
and when they came together there was
always hard game. John Haggard
was reckless player, but his good for
tune always pulled him through the
game winner. JUDI La MOure was
usually the victim. This quartette
started game six years ago in
Fargo that continued from Wednesday
at 10 o'clock p. m. until Saturday noon,
and none of the players slept during
that time. They had their meals
brought to them and they kept the game
going. In the end Edwards was big
winner, Haggart pocketed something
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